Stormy Weather
by Djali is Queen
Summary: After two years of travel Lyra is finally home. Everything is changing, and as a storm hits New Bark Town Lyra comes to realize what change can mean.


Author's Note

Maybe I've been a teensy bit neglectful of my account over, oh, say, the past few years. Sorry! Between traveling, college, and now working, I haven't had a lot of time. But here I am. I'm actually glad I even finished this one. That's a big thanks to the Pokémon comics. I just re-found them. Love of my life, I swear.

* * *

For the first time in several months Lyra was home. It was strange, she realized, to be sitting in her bedroom, her feet kicked up on the desk while Typhlosion rolled Eevee across the floor with one of her gigantic paws. For the first few hours she had been here her mother had been fawning over her, how much she had grown, how pretty she was, how strong she and her team of six looked (excepting of course Eevee, who was terribly strong, but too adorable to fit in with the hulking giants that made up the group), how skinny she looked, and on and on. Lyra scoffed at her mother for noting the changes in her daughter because she herself looked like a different person: her hair was shorter and there was a twinkle in her eyes that hadn't been there before. Her mother looked younger than ever before, and Lyra felt a small pang in her stomach when she noticed.

'What have you been doing while I was gone?' she asked as her mother flitted across the room to stir one of the many pots simmering on the stovetop. But she didn't respond, just tossed her into a chair and fed her a meal fit for a sumo wrestler: very balanced but massive. Her mother had also put together a wide array of dishes for Lyra's six friends, not knowing quite what they would like. They had to leave Lugia outside to splash in the large pond, for the creature was too big to fit inside with the rest of them. But the neighbors seemed to enjoy it.

After dinner was over her mother excused herself, saying that it was wonderful to have Lyra home again but she was too tired to talk much. 'But tomorrow, I swear, you can tell me everything.'

And then they had gone off to their respective rooms, Lyra accompanied by Typhlosion, and her mother quite alone.

Now Lyra sat in her room, Eevee squealing playfully as Typhlosion yawned, a little bit bored with the rolling game, but kind enough to amuse the playful kit a while longer. Lyra watched them half-heartedly, happy to be clean and in a new pair of clothes, but feeling as though she were missing something. She glanced out the window to see Lugia, proudly floating atop the water like a duck, eyes glowing lightly in the late afternoon. A storm would be here then.

She twiddled back around, tugging her hat off and throwing it to the floor then staring blankly at her computer screen. Typhlosion made a low, guttural grumble, thumping its paw against the floor.

'Alci,' Lyra muttered to her friend whose collar had gone ablaze. She turned her large burning eyes at Lyra, and growled a bit. The young trainer sighed, standing up and crossing to the window. 'Alright, alright,' she giggled lightly, placing her hands on the window frame. It didn't take long for Lugia to look up at her, its eyes fading back to normal.

'Lugia,' she said as she stared at the giant, 'Do you have to…?'

Bowing its head slightly the great creature's eyes shone once more and then stared up into a darkening sky.

'Well, there you go Alci. Lugia thinks he has to.' She crouched down and scratched her friend behind the ear. 'I'd stop him if I could, but he has a mind of his own. I'm sorry.'

For a moment the great beast stared at her, relentlessly upset, but soon she rolled her head, nuzzling into Lyra's hand. She cooed quietly for a moment, accepting that there was nothing to be done, until Eevee, who was feeling a bit left out, began to yip his way into attention.

'Leptines, I haven't forgotten you. Come here.' Lyra bent over to pick up the fuzzy bundle and stroked him lovingly. But he would not be satisfied. The small creature began nipping and pawing at her collar. Lyra knew her Eevee well enough to know that storms made him hungry. She rubbed her nose against his before looking over at Typhlosion, who was watching her majestically from the floor.

'I'm going to feed him, Alci. Do you want anything?'

When her friend shook her head she waved goodbye, propping Eevee on her arm, and beginning down the stairs.

The storm was already beginning to blow, rattling the house like a spring sapling in the wind. Eevee shuddered happily in her arms as she stepped quickly down the stairs, taking two or three at a time. She smiled at Eevee's impatience for a snack: he pushed against her and wiggled in her arms as soon as they were in the kitchen. Lyra set him on the counter, where he ran in little circles.

'Here,' she exclaimed softly when she stumbled upon a small plate of cheese. 'You can have this, Leptines.' She twirled around and plinked the plate down on the counter. 'It's nice and soft, just the way you like.'

The little creature swished its tail approvingly and, with a little thank you, began to eat the small lump of Gouda. Lyra patted his back as he ate and listened to the ever-heightening storm.

But something wasn't right in the noise… there was rain that drizzled and hit the windows with a hearty tap, the rattling of the panes (they were not very stable) and then the sound of wind moaning around the house, but also a slight, inconstant rapping upon something… or maybe it was the rain. Lyra let her hand fall from Eevee's back and, straightening up, stared around the room for the source of the sound. Normally she would have thought it was Gengar playing tricks on her, but Professor Elm had asked to watch him so that he could inspect the ghost's pokérus. Lyra took a step forward and realized that the sound, which was much louder now, was coming from the door. She leapt forward and sprung the door open. There, standing drenched on her porch step, was Ethan.

Immediately she moved aside to let her old friend in, for he was just standing there in the downpour, about to knock again when she opened the door. He smiled sheepishly at her from under his dripping bangs.

'Thanks,' he said as he shuffled in through the door, 'I was soaking. Even Azumarill didn't want to come out.'

'Ethan! I didn't think you were home!'

And the truth was, she hadn't. When she had flown in earlier that day she had gone straight to see if Ethan was home. But when she had gotten there his mother had told her that her son had gone off on a long trip and probably wouldn't be back for a month.

'That was a short month,' muttered the girl as Ethan looked around for a towel. Before he could ask what exactly she had said she was running up stairs, leaving an unfazed Eevee munching on cheese on the counter.

It only took a minute for her to grab a towel from her bathroom upstairs, a second longer to wave to her Typhlosion and tell her she didn't have to worry, and one last second to realize, once she had reached the bottom of the stairs, that Ethan was now standing in a puddle.

'Oh!' she said as she tossed him a towel, 'It must be really pouring outside.'

Ethan laughed a little bit, trying to dry himself off. 'Yeah, it is. Torrential downpour. I couldn't see two feet in front of me it was so bad. I almost didn't make it to your house.'

A small, lyrical laugh fell from her lips as she scooped Eevee into her arms once more. 'That bad, huh?' she giggled, snuggling into Eevee's head. 'I'm sorry.'

'Sorry? It's not your fault, is it?'

Muttering something unintelligible, Lyra turned away from her old friend. He hadn't seen Lugia.

'Man, Lyra, I haven't seen you in forever.'

She turned back to the boy, who was drying his hair with his towel. He had hung his coat on the wall and now wore nothing but a black t-shirt and his capris. He had left his shoes by the door, with his hat mounted atop them. Two years had done her old friend well.

Eevee crooned as Lyra watched her friend looking hopelessly around the room. When Ethan caught her eye he waved the wet towel up and down then asked where he ought to put it. 'I'll take it,' she said with a servile smile. She set Eevee down on the floor, took the towel and then made her way quickly up the stairs.

Typhlosion was still lying down, but she had her head arched up and was staring down her snout at the girl.

'Two years…'

As she tossed the towel to the ground she noticed Typhlosion glaring at her with her large umber eyes narrowed suspiciously at the girl. With a quick glance at the staircase Lyra crossed the room and sat on the chair before the dominating presence.

'Alright, Alci, I am a little bit…' She glanced at the stairs again. 'I just… it's so different seeing him in person, you know? We've been busy, you know that, so all I ever have time to do is call, and the picture is never really good wherever we are. I haven't even seen mom in a year. There's been so much to do in Kanto, and-'

Just then Typhlosion pushed herself off the ground, rising up to tower over her seventeen-year-old master. In two steps she had thumped across the room and was hugging her oldest friend, huffing lightly against her skin. Lyra hugged the beast back, standing to position herself better and smiling against her fur.

'Thanks Alci,' she said bashfully pulling back. 'I needed that.'

And then she was off once more, down the stairs to talk to her dear old friend.

Ethan was crouched on the floor, playing with Eevee as though they were best mates. Lyra giggled, and held her hands behind her back. Even over the sound of the mad winds outside she could hear the thump of Typhlosion's paws upon the stairs. Ethan turned back, still petting Eevee. He smiled a moment, before Eevee nipped at his hand, trying to get his full attention.

'Sorry,' Lyra cried as she ran over to check his hand. 'He's so testy sometimes! He has such a temper,' she laughed guiltily, holding his hand and checking it over. She turned a scolding eye to Eevee. 'Leptines! Don't bite.'

The furry little creature puffed his tale and chest and turned about-face, wagging his tail haughtily.

'Leptines...'

But the kit would take none of it, and he dodged the hand that Lyra was extending and fled quickly up the stairs, bounding like curving blades of lightening. Typhlosion tapped him on the head when he got to the top, before settling her chin on her paws.

Giggling nervously Lyra looked back at Ethan. 'I'm sorry. He's a bit quick tempered. You know? I'm just glad he's not as vain as Olav. I've never met a Kingdra with such an ego.'

Ethan smiled at her, but only for a short time. Soon he was looking down at her hand around his. Lyra's eyes followed his and, flashing backwards faster than Eevee, she was holding her hand against her chest.

'I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to- I-'

Oh the other side of the room there was a faint blue glow, and she used it as an excuse to put some distance between the two of them. Rain was washing down against the window, beating against it as thick as reed. She could just make out the glowering eyes of Lugia on the pond. Her heart was beating against her rib cage, loud as the storm outside. A whispering rasp came from behind her and she turned back, hoping he couldn't tell that she was blushing. She had dropped her hand to her side once more, and was smiling innocently at her friend.

'How have you been Ethan? Your dad said that you were out logging data? Make any interesting discoveries?'

His breath caught in a small puffing laugh, and he jerked forward a little bit. He held his hand to his stomach and rose from his knee. With his eyes cast to the side and an uneasy smile on his face he said, 'Yeah. Just traveling. I've seen all kinds of pokémon.'

'All kinds, hm? See anything legendary? Any really incredible Pokémon?'

Shrugging his still damp shoulders he said, 'I've seen a few.' He seemed to be shirking his duties to his friend, avoiding menial chitchat. Ethan walked over to her, leaning against the wall. She hit him playfully as he did, saying that he would leave a mark on the walls. 'You're too wet,' she contested when he tried to defend himself. 'My mom would be furious.'

'Your mom?' Ethan mumbled, looking around the room as if he had just realized that Lyra's mother wasn't there. 'Where is she?'

'Asleep,' Lyra said, moving away toward the table at the center of the room. 'She was really tired after dinner. I think spent too much energy making dinner.'

'That sounds like something she would do,' laughed the boy. He fell comfortably into the chair across the table from Lyra, little droplets of water splashing her as he sat. She scolded him playfully, but he refused to move. 'If it gets water stained I'll get you a new one.'

Just as Lyra began to laugh a low, ethereal grumble ravaged the sky, breaking through the solid walls of the house as though they were merely paper. Lyra jumped as the lights went out and a small crashing noise came from somewhere behind her. She could just hear someone falling to the ground over the rush of rain against the side of the house. Soon, she too was on the ground, scrambling through the darkness until she touched something smooth and cool. A light came from the top of the staircase as Typhlosion began her quick descent to protect her mistress. But the help was unnecessary. Lyra was holding closely onto Ethan, his large, rain-drained hands wrapped around hers. They were leaning awkwardly against a table leg, almost parallel to the floor. When Typhlosion was near enough they realized their closeness and quickly fell apart. Lyra clutched onto Typhlosion's head, one hand dangling next to her eye. Ethan was now sitting on the floor, kept upright only by his hands. Staring through his bent legs with a look on his face.

The room was drowned in the sound of crashing thunder and decked occasionally with the sparkle of light through the heavy downpour. The sounds of the thrall washed out all possibility of her beating heart betraying her. Lyra wondered somewhere deep within her mind why her mother hadn't woken up.

'Some storm, huh?' croaked the boy as he pushed himself from the floor, his rain-soaked skin flushed red.

Whether or not she responded she wasn't sure. Soon Typhlosion was nudging her off, pushing her up until she could sit on her own. The great creature raised itself from the floor and soon she was walking back up the stairs, her pounding footsteps hardly audible against the rain.

'Lyra...'

'Do you know Silver?'

Why she had asked that she didn't know. It had simply rolled off her tongue. For a moment she thought he hadn't heard her over the booming symphony, but she could see his mind churning and his lips as they started to form a series of incomplete words. He rolled the name across his tongue a time or two, until at last he spoke.

'The boy who stole the Totodile?'

So that was how he knew him. Lyra winced a little, but just before a lick of thunder stroked the air.

'Yes. His name is Silver.'

'What about him?'

She didn't know where to begin. Beneath her stumbled her unsure hands, thumping noiselessly through the dark until they hit the table leg. They grasped the wood and her body followed, pushing forward through the blackness until she was on all fours. At the next strike she moved toward Ethan. At first she thought he hadn't moved, but one more flash showed he was now leaning against the wall. She crawled through the darkness until her hand brushed a frigid foot, and, ignoring the flinch, she moved herself around him until she too was leaned against the wall.

'We haven't talked in a while, huh?'

'No,' came the uncomfortable half-whisper. 'But you're still my best friend.'

That was what she had wanted him to say… Or was it…?

With a deep sigh that mimicked the roaring winds Lyra said, 'I've known him for a while, Ethan. I know that you know him as a thief, but he's really a good person at heart… see… when I was travelling, I didn't really have anyone to talk to. I mean, I saw you once in a while, and we talked a little bit, but never for very long. I wanted to talk to you though. About Silver…'

An uncomfortable silence built between them, ravished only by the sounds of the thrall outside and the rattle of the windows as they tried to hold their ground against nature's attack. Lyra took a deep breath and placed her hands on the floor, pushing her shoulders up, trying to keep herself strong and steady.

'It's kind of weird to talk to you about this. I mean, I've never… been like this. See, I think… I think I like him. I mean, I do, but…

'The first time we met, he pushed me. The second, we fought. The third too. I beat him every time, but every time he would come back. We… we haven't always fought, but, I knew he resented me. He was always going on about strength and weakness, and, and I made him feel that way: weak. But, one day, he finally gave up on trying to beat me. I think I'd fought him one time too many… you know how strong I am, right?' There was no response that she could hear. She tapped her fingers against the floor, nervous that she couldn't see him. Why had Alci left them?

'He tried to run away, he always would, but I managed to stop him. I hadn't seen him in almost a year, and suddenly, there he was, right in front of me. I stopped him, and I tried to talk to him, but he's so stubborn sometimes. I… I can't remember why, but he called out his Feraligatr and wanted me to fight, but I couldn't. Alci was right behind me, she was so angry, but I'd already beaten him and they both looked so tired. So I ran. I ran up and hugged his Feraligatr, and I was crying so hard Ethan, I knew how much it wanted to please him but nothing worked…' She could feel herself tearing up, see everything laid out in front of her. 'He stopped shouting at me and pulled me away and… and he kissed me…'

Thunder rumbled angrily a mile or two away, causing the already frightened girl to flinch. It was very dark in the house now that Typhlosion had retreated upstairs; only the faint glimmer of lightening in the distance and the natural shimmer of night through the trillions of gleaming bodies that plummeted toward the earth. In the darkness of the storm there was only the relentless bounding of water and wind and the thrumming voice of the sky. And then, faintly but loud enough for Ethan to hear, came a thumping from inside her chest. Warmly covering her hand, just an unseen blanket, was a hand.

Only once before in her life had Lyra noticed how round and strong her heart was, rolling through her bones and pressing with strong determination against her flesh, burning, and tugging her from the wall, though she did not move an inch. She couldn't. Her breath caught in her throat, her cheeks were set ablaze with some deep, internal fire, and her heart, her burning heart rolling against her frozen breast...

She remembered to breath.

'I-I've just needed to tell someone' she muttered breathlessly, the speeding words hardly audibly beneath the bluster.

'Well... I am your best friend,' Ethan said, squeezing her hand lightly. She could hear the smile in his voice, but there was also something else there... 'Are you alright? I mean... were you fine with him doing that?'

A flash of lightning scraped against the sky and, for one split second, Lyra could see her old friend's face. He was so serious. Small campfires lit underneath her already bright cheeks. She wondered vaguely if he could see the blaze through her flesh.

'Kissing me?' she whispered, and she knew he hadn't heard. She wasn't even sure she had said it. 'I-I was happy he had,' admitted the trainer bashfully. 'I... I think I've liked him for a while. But,' she added when his fingers twitched atop hers, 'I'm not sure...' It was only a whisper, but it was enough for Ethan to hear.

'So what happened?' he asked with a little bit of confidence.

'What? Oh... after he-' She took a deep breath and smiled into the darkness. 'Well… I guess—I mean, it's kind of silly…' Ethan coughed lightly, prompting her on. 'We went for a walk. We had to talk, you know, because… because we've never really been… romantic.' The last word fell from her lips like a leaf upon the crashing shore, tangled in the chaos of the world, but Ethan heard it as clearly. There was something stuck in his throat as he waited for her to continue, but, then again, there was something in hers too, something behind her reserved smile. All of this seemed terribly apparent in the darkness. Lyra cleared her throat, scrunched her fingers, moving Ethan's as well, and continued her story.

'Well,' she began, her blush simmer upon her face, 'It was all so awkward. We walked with Alci and the Feraligatr between us for a while, but they were tired to I sent Alci away and he did too. I mean, with his Feraligatr. Not…anyway, after a while he tried to apologize, but I told him it was alright, and I grabbed his hand… He asked if he could stay with me, Ethan, for us to just… travel together. The two of us…'

A sudden clanging thunder burst through the house, rattling the windows with its ferocity. Both jumped in their spots but their hands did not unclasp. After a moment's silence Lyra let out a slow, wispy laugh.

'I didn't think I'd left Raikou out.'

But Ethan didn't seem to get the joke. He had never seen the legendary canine, much less heard it, so he wouldn't have understood. She smiled quietly through the darkness, finally able to see. They were quite close she realized, almost touching shoulders. Lyra thought about moving, but she didn't want to offend Ethan; after all, he had listened to her troubles so thoughtfully.

'I can't remember what I was saying,' giggled the girl, awkwardly squeezing her friend's hand. His eyes fell upon their hands and then went back up to her eyes, a sad smile forced across his face.

'You were walking. He wants to travel with you.'

'Oh... oh right. Listen, Ethan, if you don't want me to talk abo-'

'Lyra!' he scolded, squeezing her hand and giving her a meaningful look shaded by the midnight storm. 'We're best friends! You can... you can tell me anything.'

Whether or not he meant it she couldn't tell, but it was Ethan talking. Of course he meant it. He had always been honest, ever since they were children; always honest and always there for her; always a perfect friend and gentleman. She squeezed his hand back.

'He wanted to stay with me, travel with me. Silver was surprisingly sweet to me. I... I don't think I'd ever seen him so... I don't know. Docile? He held my hand and swung it back and forth when he was talking to me, and when we got back to the Center, he kissed my cheek, blushed, said goodbye and went to his room. He asked me to think it over. I'm supposed to meet him in Mahogany Town, by the Lake of Rage in a week but... I really like Silver, Ethan. It's funny,' she giggled darkly, 'I always thought he hated me. But I think he's changed. I think... I think he's finally opening up to me.'

Although it was hardly noticeable, the storm was beginning to let up as Ethan began to respond to Lyra. Their hands had simply been clasped together, pressed one palm to the other, but he rearranged their hands so that they were interlocked, slipping his fingers in between hers until she was once more the color of autumn.

'Look,' he said as a bolt of lightening dabbed the inky sky a short while away, 'I think you might be rushing into this. I mean—' he rushed, catching the look that she was giving him in the dark, 'You have known him for a while, but on what terms? He's been fighting you, arguing with you, insulting you, and suddenly he's nice. I'm not saying he isn't a... better person, but what do really know about each other? I'm just… I… I'm worried that you might be rushing into this...' muttered the boy, confused and self-conscious as he blushed.

With his free hand, Ethan rubbed the back of his head, which was now turned away. Something didn't feel normal and it made him uncomfortable. It was just Lyra.

'Ethan...'

As quickly as rain his head turned back at her, staring at her through the veiled darkness. A flash of light threw streaks across her face and he wondered if she was crying.

'I do like him though... you think I should just give him more time?'

His mind stumbled furiously around in circles until he mumbled out, 'I guess what I'm saying is maybe you should take some more time to think about it.'

'Oh. Why do I have to think though? Whatever happened to spontaneity?' A little tear slid down her cheek, mimicking the window outside. There was a small, pathetic smile lingering on her face. 'Don't you remember when we were kids? You came over at three o'clock in the morning, pounding on my door and my mom was furious with you. But you just told her that a little spontaneity was healthy. She wouldn't let you play with me for a week.'

With a low chuckle Ethan squeezed Lyra's hand. 'Yeah I remember that. That was when I always carried that Pikachu doll around with me.'

'When you had that lisp.'

'Ah. No. I never had a lithp.'

He coughed.

'I never had a lisp,' he said with mock hurt in his voice. After a second he snickered and shoved her shoulder playfully with his.

'Okay, I had a slight stutter.'

Lyra giggled, wiping one last tear from her cheek as she rested her head on the shoulder of her old friend.

'Everything was so easy back then. Some days I wish I could go back and just live it all over again. All of the fun we hand,' she sighed, then giggled again. His hand was leaning innocently against her thigh. 'I never thought I would meet someone that I would like then. It was just you and me.'

Ethan hiccupped quietly to himself. His palms were becoming sticky and every time she moved he could feel the cool breeze that slipped in through the window to cool them. He wondered if she could feel it too. He was beginning to feel a little bit uncomfortable. He had never felt like this with Lyra before.

'Lyra,' Ethan began, his voice faltering a little bit.

'You know Ethan, you're my best friend.'

Mulling the word over in his head he took a deep breath, lolling in her scent.

'Best friend, huh?'

'What,' she giggled sadly, 'Am I not your best friend anymore?'

He turned his face to the top of her head and kissed her crown, taking his free hand to stroke her hair. 'Of course you're my best friend, Lyra,' he sighed, a small smile on his face. He was hugging her now, pulling her between his legs, sheltering her from the rest of the world.

A blush crept slowly into Lyra's young cheeks as she realized that this was her oldest, dearest friend holding her so closely, kissing the top of her head, stroking her hair. A tiny Rattata had taken up residence inside her chest and was wiggling around, trying to make itself comfortable. She moved a little beneath the weight of the arms that were so much heavier than she remembered them.

'Ethan- I…'

'Please, Lyra, shh… Can't we just… sit for a minute longer?'

For several minutes Lyra let her mind spin around the feelings that she felt as Ethan's chest slowly drew in and out beneath her small body, as she curled up in his arms and listened to the thrumming that slowly echoed from the caves of flesh and muscle… it wasn't something she had ever really thought of: Ethan as something more than just the neighbor boy, as something more than her best friend. But sitting in his arms, listening to his breathe and heart and the sound of the wind whistling slowly past… here there was something magical, something that was so natural and comfortable that she was sure it had to be right.

In the corner of her mind came the slender, tense face of Silver, the boy she had promised she would give an answer to, the boy whom she had thought she genuinely had feelings for. He too had made her heart quicken, but when he had kissed her, held onto her, the feelings that welled up behind her skin were not as intense as those she felt right now.

A faint popping came from the front door as Lugia stuck its head into the room. The storm was over. Lugia's giant head dripping, the water evaporating before it hit the floor. For a moment Lugia simply stared at the two, not entirely sure what to make of it all. Soon its eyes were glowing and its mouth was opening.

'I'm okay, Lugia,' Lyra said quickly as she noticed the defensive glare that the creature was giving. She tried to ignore the tugging on her sleeve. The massive creature's eyes slowly faded back to the intelligent black pearls that would watch her smile, and, after sending her a quick message, Lugia withdrew, strutting majestically back toward the pond that it had claimed.

'Wh-what was _that!_'

Without giving her time to answer the question Ethan began to babble incoherently about the creature that had leered at him form the doorway, and for a minute Lyra let him go on. He gradually slowed and Lyra smiled softly at him.

'That's Lugia,' she said kindly, resting her hand on his.

'Lugia!?'

Before he had time to resume his babble she pressed a finger to his lips.

'Yeah, Lugia. You haven't seen me for a while so I guess you wouldn't know, but I caught him before I met the Elite Four. He's really sweet.'

'He?' bumbled the boy. 'It's a boy?'

'Well…' Lyra cast a look out the window, catching Lugia's eye. The creature nodded slowly before looking off into the sky. 'Technically he's… androgynous… but he told me to call him a boy. I mean, when we talk he sounds like he's male too, so I just kind of-'

'It can talk!' cried the befuddled trainer, jerking to his knees and staring out at the massive white body that was floating just outside the window.

'Ethan, shh!' she hushed, pulling his hand playfully until he was back against the wall. 'He can't talk. I mean, not out loud. But, you know... he's a psychic Pokémon and he's very powerful. We talk to each other telepathically. He's very smart and awfully kind.' Her eyes flickered swiftly to the window. 'He's much nicer than when we met anyway.'

It was just then that Ethan remembered Lyra's hand on his. He sat back down, folding Lyra against him. His thoughts dissipated slowly from his mind, passing over him with one final effort to keep control over his body.

'Um… what, uh, what was it that he… that is… Why did he come in?'

'Oh.'

A bright red blush swept across Lyra's face, lighting her head up as she tilted her chin down and away, avoiding the gaze of all living beings.

'Well… he was just, you know, checking on me. He knows I don't like storms, that's all. Well… that and…'

The sentence just fell off, trickling down her lips casually, as though they were nothing to be lost. Ethan squeezed her hand, remembering what it was like to be that close to her, comfortable once more, and asked, quietly, 'What?'

'He's really smart, so, you know, there's just some things he can tell.'

'You said you were alright?'

'Yeah,' she said, blushing brighter than before as she caught his eyes. She was stuck there. 'Yeah. He was worried because… well, he said that I was, um, too… This sounds so silly though.'

'Tell me,' Ethan egged.

Pouting her lips and sighing toward the ceiling as she told him the truth.

'Lately he's been worried about me. He says that I'm confused. Everyone else agrees with him too. I swear, sometimes Alci is more protective than my mother. But… when he came in he said that I was too even headed. He wanted to know what I was going to do.'

'About… what exactly?'

Somewhere upstairs Eevee was squealing and bouncing up and down. After a few short seconds Lyra heard a thud and a whining and she knew that Alici had put a paw down. Her smile fell from a silly, bashful one to a confidant and shy glimmer. Looking up at him under her eyelashes, her hat sitting on the floor upstairs, her bangs pushed to the side and her hair falling loosely around her face she whispered the answer.

'You.'

'Me?' Ethan winced, not entirely sure what she was trying to say. His free hand was gesturing to his chest as though enforcing his confusion.

'Yeah. Like I said, it's kind of silly. I mean, we're friends, that's why I'm so-'

That's when it all dawned on him. The way that he had been feeling, how everything around Lyra felt so natural, so warm, how his hands sweat, how he had rushed to her through a storm, how his first thought when he got home had been about her: it all pointed to one thing. Ethan stared at her, her eyes flickering back and forth as she tried to explain something he couldn't hear. His eyes softened and lingered dreamily on Lyra for a moment.

'Lyra,' he said finally.

'What?' she muttered, keeping her eyes out the window as though she was talking more to Lugia than her oldest friend.

Lengthening a knee in front of him and craning his neck, Ethan floated his lips to Lyra's placing them gently on top of hers.

She could have died.

After a moment, he pulled his lips tenderly away and peeled his eyes open, looking at her languorously. Slightly awed, Lyra leaned back in, kissing him back with more passion than she knew existed. Ethan's hand slid up her back, lingered on her neck and then settled at the back of her head. A squeal came from the top of the stairs and then the small pattering of paws running in frenzied circles. The thump settled the matter as the two kissed against the wall.

.

.

Lyra's mother opened the door to her bedroom, stretching her arms as she walked out.

'Oooo,' she yawned. 'What a nice night.'

The kids on the floor didn't even noticing there was another life in the room. But then again, neither did Lyra's mother. The older woman danced lightly into the kitchen, setting out a steamer and fetching a bag of rice. She hummed happily to herself as she filled a bowl with water and then, turning around, she gasped, almost dropping the bowl with shock. It was nearly seven as she watched her daughter nestled against neighbor boy, the two cooing and kissing tenderly. For several seconds she stood there, shocked and frozen. Her little girl was all grown up. She'd seen it when Lyra walked in the door the day before: that womanly confidence and glowing feminine air. She'd even peeked in on her while she was dressing and seen the beautiful figure that the girl had developed. Slowly, but surely the mother made her way back into the bedroom. She waited there for several seconds before throwing the door open.

'Lyra!' her mother cried as she pulled a laundry basket up off the floor. 'Do you have anything you need me to wash?'

The shout was just what the young couple needed to get them off the floor. They scurried up, straightening their clothes and blushing madly as Lyra's mother walked in.

'Oh!' popped the woman's voice as she lugged the laundry basket up, 'Ethan! I didn't know you were here. It's so early! And didn't your mother say you were traveling?'

'Well,' Ethan said, looking quietly at Lyra, 'I heard Lyra was coming home and I thought that it would be nice to have the whole family here.'

With an omnipotent smile and a sly head nod she said, 'Well you should join us for breakfast. I was just going to wash these and then I was going to make us rice and natto. It's a little bit short notice, but you should stay. I'll put some tea on too.'

Ethan smiled and squeezed Lyra's hand, the one that he had not let go of and nodded his head.

'Yeah. I'd love to stay for breakfast,' he said, looking at her mother with a sheepish grin.

The older woman turned around, pretending she hadn't seen a thing, but knowing that she would have to head over as soon as possible to gossip with her old friends. The parents had never been sure of Ethan and Lyra, but they had always wanted their children to realize how much they liked each other. Pulling the rice cooker from under the counter, she smiled. It was nice to see her strong young daughter with a competent young man. Not to mention, the two mothers had just won a ten-year long bet against Elm, and were in for a lovely spa weekend in the city.


End file.
